Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei killed; Tehran launches widespread retaliation across region

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior security officials have been killed in attacks reportedly carried out by Israel and the United States, according to Iranian and regional media reports.

In the aftermath of the strikes, Iran began a large-scale retaliatory operation, targeting what it described as 27 U.S. military bases across the Middle East. Missile and drone attacks were also reported in Tel Aviv, while explosions were heard in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

In Israel, a residential building in Tel Aviv was reportedly destroyed following an Iranian missile strike. Emergency services said at least one woman was killed and around 120 people were injured.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is said to have targeted several U.S. installations in the Gulf region, including the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama, Bahrain. Additional incidents were reported in Dubai, Doha and Kuwait. At Dubai International Airport, four people were reported injured in an explosion, while witnesses also reported an incident at Bahrain International Airport.

The situation remains fluid, with regional security concerns escalating rapidly.

Iraq has declared three days of national mourning following Khamenei’s death. In a statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency, government spokesperson Basim Al-Awadi described the killing as an act of aggression and announced that national flags would be flown at half-mast during the mourning period.

Meanwhile, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and an interim leadership council are set to oversee key state affairs until a successor to Khamenei is selected. According to regional media, more than 200 people have been killed across multiple Iranian provinces in the reported attacks.

Iran’s National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani confirmed that an interim leadership council has been formed to manage state affairs during the transition period.

The crisis continues to unfold, raising fears of a broader regional confrontation.